Reconsidering participatory action research for organizational transformation and social change

Abstract

Considering the notion of vagueness of organizational and social contexts during the processes of organizational transformation and social change, a dramaturgical model of organizations is proposed for facilitating the process of organizational transformation and learning in local and contingent contexts. Our strategy for participatory action research (PAR) is suggested for appreciating the importance of the multiple uses of research methods, hence the need to come to terms with pluralism and holism. In this paper, the design of participant-driven research, using the post-structuralist thought of Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze, is critically reviewed.